Paul j



(No Model.)

P. J. SCHLIOHT. I

FILING CABINET.

No. 355,219. Patented Dec. 28, 1886 N. PETERS. Fhalo-hlhagmphc lJNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL J. SOHLICHT, OF ROCHESTER, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SOHLIOHT & FIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

FILING-CABINET.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 355,219,dated December 28, 1886.

I Application filed December 4, 1825. Serial No. 184,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, PAUL J .SonLroHT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and larged perspective view of a single file as it appears when removed from the cabinet.

As illustrated in the drawings, A indicates a cabinet or filing-case, which is divided by suitable vertical and horizontal strips or partitions, a a, into a series of compartments, each of which is adapted to receive a single file, (indicated by B.) i

The file B comprises a fiat base, 0, made of approximately the same width as the compartments of the cabinet, so that it may freely enter the latter, a paper-holding device attached to the top surface of the base at one side of the latter, and a board or front piece, D, attached to the front end of the base, and adapted to close the outer end or opening of the cabinet when the file is inserted to its full depth. The principal purpose of the said front piece, D, is to exclude dust from the compartments of the cabinet and to give a finished appearance to the latter when the files are in place therein. The front piece, D, is desirably provided with a knob or handle, d, to be grasped by the hand in drawing the file from the cabinet, and said front piece may also be provided with a suitable frame or receptacle, d, for a card indicating the contents of the file.

The paper-holding device herein illustrated comprises two parallel receiving-wires, E E,

which are secured in the base 0, and two transfer-wires, F F, located back of the wires k E E, and movably mounted in the base, or in a the receiving-wires E, devices being provided connecting the said wires F within the baseplate G, so constructed that when one bent wire is turned the other will also be turned in an opposite direction. The wires, arranged as described, operate in a well-known manner to enable a portion of the papers held upon the file to be thrown backwardly from the wires E to the transfer-wires F, so that the latter wires may be rotated to open them when it is desired to place papers upon or remove them from the file.

In carrying out my invention other means than the receiving-wires E may be employed to hold the papers in place upon the base 0, and instead of paper-holding devices engaging the edges of the papers, a series of index-sheets may be employed to hold in place and separate the papers placed between them in a well-known manner. Aseries of index-sheets, H, is herein shown as held upon the wires E E, which index-sheets may be employed either to separate papers which are themselves held upon the wires or to separate and hold in place papers which are not engaged with the wires E, as is common in what are known as expansible indexes.

Two receiving-wires, E E, may be employed without the bent transferring-wires, in which case transfer-tubes or other similar well-known devices may be used to remove a portion of the papers from said wires and'replace them thereon when it is desired to remove a paper from or insert it in the file.

The papers or letters may be placed upon the file constructed as above set forth either with their side edges engaged with the receiving-wires and their top margins at the rear end of the base, or with their top margins at the side of the base, said papers or letters obviously being in either case located in position for convenient inspection when the file is drawn out of the cabinet, without turning around or reversing the position of said file.

In the use of a file constructed as above set forth the letters or papers therein may obviously be inspected without removing the file entirely from the cabinet by drawing the file outwardly-supporting the outer end thereof by one hand, if necessary--while theinner end thereof is upheld by resting upon the horizontal cross-piece a, as shown in Fig. 1, the papers above the one which it is desired to examine being lifted and held in the hand or allowed to hang at the side of the base. In placing papers upon or taking them from the file-the latter may be removed entirely from the cabinet and placed upon a flat surface; or, in case transfer-wires forming part of the hold-. ing device are employed, as in the particular construction herein shown, papers maybe removed from and placed in'the file by the use of one hand. i

The paper-files heretofore used in connection with a filing case or cabinet have consisted of a receptacle having a bottom and three sides, and provided with index-leaves or paper-holding devices secured at or located adjacent to the side or wall of the receptacle which is toward the front of the cabinet when the file is inserted therein, so that it becomes necessary to remove the file entirely from the cabinet and to turn it around before the papers therein can be inspected. In the file herein shown, on the contrary, the papers may be inspected without changing the position of the file, and without drawing it entirely out of the cabinet, as hereinbefore described. The absence of any side pieces upon the base 0 also obviously enables the papers to be much more readily manipulated and inspected than is possible in the case of files having side walls.

In a prior application, Serial No. 144,491, filed by me upon the 1st day of October,1884, a file is shown which is generally similar to that herein described and claimed, but in which the paper-holding device is located at the rear or inner edge of the base. The construction set forth in said patent obviously necessitates the entire withdrawal of the file from the cabinet to enable papers to be conveniently inspected and removed, for the reason that the presence of the front of the cabinet,

when the file is drawn partially therefrom,

prevents thefree edges of the papers from being thrown backwardly. In the use of the file herein shown, on the contrary, the free edges of the papers above the one that is to be examined may be thrown to one side inthe same manner that a book is opened, without interference with the front of the cabinet, so that the papers may be readily examined and removed while the file is sustained in the opening of the cabinet.

An important advantage is gained by locating the holding devices at the side of the base, when receiving and transfer wires such as are herein shown are employed, for the reason that in placing papers in and removing them from the file by the use of said transfer-wires a portion of the papers may be shifted to the said transfer-wires,so as to hang at the side of the boart'hand thereby permit the insertion or removal of a paper while the file is held with its inner end resting in the compartment of the cabinet, and without removing it entirely therefrom. l

The construction herein shown is of great advantage,also,in cases in which the cabinet is provided, upon the side walls of the compartments,with stops engaging the upper surface of the margin ofthe base, so as to sustain the file in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position when drawn out, as shown and described in the said prior application.

The. principal feature of improvement in the device herein described consists in the base provided with the front piece,D,at its forward suitable devices for holding the papers upon the base; and my invention,as herein claimed, is not-therefore restricted to the use of the receiving-wires herein shown, except in the claims in which said receiving-wires are specificall y set forth.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, with a cabinet,of a file comprising a base provided with a paperholding device at one of its sides, and a front at its outer end adapted to close the opening of the cabinet when the file is in place therein, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a cabinet, of a file comprising a base having one or more receiving-wires at one of its sides, and a front at its outer end adapted to close the opening of the cabinet when the file is inserted therein, sub stantially as described.

' 3. The combination, with a cabinet, ofa file comprising a base provided with a front at its outer end adapted to close the opening of the cabinet, and a paper-holding device at one of its sides, consisting of one or more receivingwires' and one or more transfer-wires, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing. as my invention I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL J. SOHLIOHT. \Vitnesses:

WM. L. DENIO, J. DOYLE.

The im- 

